Teacher runs to raise theater funds

Audrey Petterson took a personal milestone to a whole new level last Wednesday when she decided to celebrate her 50th birthday with a 26.2 mile run.

Spurred on by the need for more funds to support a coming visit to the high school by the Seattle Shakespeare Company and longing to provide students with even more opportunities, a marathon wasn't enough for the warm, energetic and joyful English teacher at Wahkiakum High School.

Petterson decided to do a little fundraising for this, her 18th marathon, and she asked her students to get involved. It also turned into another opportunity to show her students that if they wanted something to happen, they could be actively involved in making it happen.

"I have a tee shirt with a quote from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar," Petterson said. "'Not in our stars,' it says, 'but in ourselves'. The quote has a great parallel to my life and why I run marathons. The last time I was unemployed I took up running. I couldn't make someone give me a job, but I could make myself run. It was an aspect of my life that I could control. Some people think running a marathon is insane, but it was doing something insane that kept me sane."

More than 40 students, one teacher, one husband and one friend joined her along the way. Petterson started her run at 10:30 a.m. by doing several laps around the track with students and the track team and Michele Haberlach, the high school math teacher.

More students, encouraged by the beautiful weather and the excitement, made their way out to the track to count laps and mingle.

"It started with a few brave volunteers," Petterson said, "but it turned into the place to be."

After a couple miles, she left the high school and made her way to Puget Island where she covered another 14 miles. Returning to the mainland, she loped through downtown Cathlamet and headed west to the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge where she was joined by her husband, Andrew Emlen. Her friend Heidi Heywood met her at the end of the refuge and helped her finish the race.

"It was super fun," Petterson said. "I was glad for the support from the students and Mrs. Haberlach at the beginning and from Andrew and Heidi at the end. It's said that the last 6 miles of a 26 mile race is considered to be the second half, the time when you hit the wall."

Petterson and the students raised a little over $500, some of which will go to pay for Shakespeare, the rest going into a fund for future events.

"I appreciate people with giving spirits," Petterson said. "This town is finite and the people in our community who give, give a lot. I was hoping to appeal to a larger community and was grateful for some of the response from people I knew in high school or college."

A fund has been set up at the high school in hopes of providing continuing opportunities for local students to experience art, drama, music, etc. Interested donors can make checks out to the Wahkiakum High School Arts Fund and be sent to the school, Wahkiakum School District, PO Box 398, Cathlamet WA 98612 or can be dropped off at the office.

"Maybe the Seattle Shakespeare Company could visit us every year," Petterson dreamed. "Maybe we won't have to start from scratch in order to fund it."